Contact Us
Location
Our Teachers
Our Vision
Virtual Studio Tour
Merlin, Or 97532
Email Address:
email@music4kids.com
Phone Number:
541.583.0123
Hours:
Music4Kids classes and lessons continue year round. We are open for most of the "Monday holidays," but are closed for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day as well as one week for Thanksgiving, two weeks at the end of December, and one week in March for Spring Break.
Hours:
Monday 9 am – 5:30
Tuesday 9 am – 5:30 pm
Wednesday 9 am – 5:30 pm
Thursday 9 am – 5:30 pm
Friday 9 am - 4:30 pm
Office Hours: Monday 9-2 and Friday 9-Noon
For more information, you may contact us using the form below. It provides all the information we need to answer any questions you may have.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Music4Kids
141 NW C Street
Grants Pass, Oregon
We are located on the corner of C and 5th streets (across the corner from the Josephine County Library).
Our students may park in the lot on the corner of D and 5th streets. Our entry is the door that faces the parking lot.
Deborah Pratt
Teaches Kindermusik, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Choirs
Miss Deb teaches Kindermusik, piano, guitar, and choir. Deb is the founder of Music4Kids. She is an experienced music educator specializing in early childhood music, voice, piano, and guitar. In addition to teaching Kindermusik, choirs, and private lessons she has years of experience teaching in both music and elementary classrooms in private and public schools.
Deb holds a Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. A licensed Kindermusik educator, "Miss Deb" is also certified in Level 1 of Orff-Schulwerk, a creative and hands-on method of music education. Before retiring from public school teaching, she held state teacher certification in both elementary education (K-8) and music (K-12).
Deb and her husband Jim have three daughters and seven grandchildren and a very friendly black lab named Kobe. She enjoys gardening, walking with Kobe, visiting the Oregon coast, playing music, and connecting with family and friends.
Deb's love for children and music provide a warm and accepting atmosphere for learning. She has focused her teaching career on finding teaching methods that allow children to be successful in their music making from the beginning, making it fun and enjoyable for them to learn.
"I look forward every day to sharing music with my students and their families. I treasure all the special moments we share together. I've always sensed the miracle of music in the joy that it brings. As I've studied the research and observed the unbelievable benefits of music making in every area of child and human development, I feel privileged to participate in a life work that has such a powerful impact on the world.”
Elyse Farrugia
Teaches Guitar
Elyse first began playing the guitar in her early teen years. Six years ago she joined her church worship team as a guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist, and worship leader. In 2021 and 2022 she had the opportunity to attend the Oregon Fine Arts Convention for songwriting, and was invited both times to perform her music at the National Fine Arts Conference in Florida.
Elyse is currently a student at Rogue Community College. In addition to music, Elyse also enjoys spending time with friends and family, songwriting, painting, the outdoors, and her three cats.
Jennifer Farrugia
Teaches Violin and Kindermusik
Jennifer teachers violin lessons.
Jennifer began violin lessons at an early age and grew to become an accomplished violinist. Over the years she has played in multiple ensembles including the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon, The Rogue Opera, The Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, local theater productions, several bands (including bluegrass, Celtic, and Christian contemporary), and her church worship team.
An experienced teacher, Jennifer loves to encourage, inspire, and share her love of music with others. She has been teaching violin over a span of 15 years, taking a long break to homeschool her three children. Now that her kids are older, she is excited to return to teaching. She is also a licensed Kindermusik educator, and enjoys sharing music with the young children and their families in her Kindermusik classes.
Jennifer currently lives in Grants Pass with her husband and three teens. When she's not playing the violin with her church worship team, she enjoys cozying up with some reading and coffee, cooking, baking, knitting, and spending time with her family.
Teaches Voice
Joe is an accomplished bass soloist who is well known to the Grants Pass music community. He studied music at Rio Hondo College in City of Commerce, California and continued his vocal studies privately for seven years with Joseph Klien and Dolores Davis. He began teaching voice lessons in 1987.
Joe has performed with the Los Angeles opera, at the Hollywood Bowl, in Europe, and at the Oregon State Capitol where he sang our national anthem. Locally he has performed as the bass soloist for the annual Josephine County Messiah Sing-along for the past 14 years.
Joe is an exceptional teacher. His teaching focuses on the "Bel Canto" style of singing using classical and Broadway music as repertoire. This approach provides a solid vocal foundation that is healthy for the voice and prepares the singer for performing any style of music. Students and parents alike express their appreciation for his professional but friendly and supportive teaching style.
In addition to singing Joe enjoys gardening and working on projects at home.
"Teaching singing is fulfilling for me. I feel that I am passing on what I have learned and therefore it is not lost. It is also gratifying to see my student's faces light up when they get it."
Teaches Violin
Teresa teaches cello lessons.Beginning in elementary school and continuing through high school, Teresa participated in her schools' strings programs. She began private lessons in high school and during that time played in many orchestras and chamber ensembles, mostly with adults. After a hiatus to finish college, start a family, and begin a career as an elementary teacher and reading specialist, Teresa returned to cello playing and continued improving her cello skills through study with private teachers.
Now retired from public school teaching, Teresa has been teaching cello for over five years. She has performed with many orchestras and chamber groups, including the Three Rivers Community Orchestra, Three Rivers Chorale, the Josephine County Messiah Sing-a-long, and the One Eleven Evelyn Theater Company. She currently serves as the principal cellist with the Three Rivers Community Orchestra and continues to perform in various local ensembles as the opportunity arises.
When she is not playing the cello, Teresa is reading, working crossword puzzles, walking her dogs, playing with her two cats, book-clubbing on zoom, and doing yoga. She enjoys spending time with her husband David and her sons Evan and Quentin.
"I keep coming back to music. Music challenges, soothes, and energizes me. I love exploring the intricacies of cello playing and I love sharing music with others. I can’t wait to find out what I’m going to learn next! I am inspired by my students, and find working with other cellists expands my own appreciation and understanding of the instrument.”
Teaches Guitar
Lisa teaches guitar lessons and classes.
Lisa's love for music began at age five listening to her grandmother play violin for the San Francisco and Oakland symphony orchestras. She played piano as a child, and took up the guitar in her teen years. Lisa started out playing in a few "garage" bands, and then branched out playing guitar, keyboards, and singing backup vocals in various local bands performing for special events in her local community.
Currently, Lisa oversees a veteran's music program that she designed and coordinates through the Josephine County Veteran's Office. Veterans participate in rock bands with other veterans. Lisa serves as a mentor in these groups while participating herself on guitar, keyboards, and vocals and fostering camaraderie within the circle.
Lisa has recently begun taking piano and vocal lessons to further develop her own music knowledge and skills, and she is always looking for ways to support musicianship in our local community.
"I believe music enriches our experience as human beings and supports us on a mental, physical, and spiritual level. I enjoy inspiring and supporting youth in their quest to become musicians, fostering their growth while helping them develop their own style. My own love for music was instilled at a very early age, and I feel very fortunate to participate in the encouragement and guidance of young talent. My goal is to be an inspiration to my students and to instill in them a passion for the arts."
Teaches Piano
Heidi teaches piano lessons.
Prior to joining us at Music4Kids Heidi taught piano over the course of eight years. An accomplished ballerina, she also taught ballet to young dancers at a local ballet studio. After she married, Heidi and her husband moved to Europe. They returned to live in Eugene, Oregon for a time, and then moved back to Grants Pass to live closer to family.
Knowing the power of music to bring out your child’s potential in every area of development, we treasure the opportunity to be a part of your child’s life as they discover their unique gifts and talents.
Nurturing Musicality. Let it begin with Kindermusik! Kindermusik classes guide your young child through each developmental level as they progress in their ability to keep a steady beat and sing in tune. Young children can actually increase musical “talent” through musical experiences beginning at birth — so these early years are critically important to your child’s musical future. For Kindermusik graduates we offer a piano class where loving teachers provide a solid foundation upon which your child will build their life-long musicianship and love for music.
Unlocking Potential. Over the last 20 years research has been flooding in about the amazing power of music making to promote learning and even to enhance the structure of the brain. Kindermusik activities are designed to foster your child’s cognitive, language, physical, creative, and social-emotional development. Beyond Kindermusik, taking music classes or lessons continues to offer the extraordinary benefits of making music.
Music is one of the great joys of life . . .Share it with your child!
Music4Kids is a special place.
You’ll enjoy being in our beautiful teaching studios. We feel fortunate to have found this lovely space with features including:
- a large, bright room for our Kindermusik classes and choirs
- a well-equipped piano lab with 5 full-size digital pianos for our piano classes
- a private teaching studio featuring a baby grand piano
- a peaceful waiting room
Our waiting room is designed to be a restful place for you to wait for your child. For any little ones who may be waiting with you, we have a baby changing table and a toddler table with animal themed child-sized chairs. We also offer coloring books, stuffed animals and story books to keep your child occupied. If you need a place to write or use your computer, there is an adult sized desk and free WiFi available. We hope our waiting room will be a place where you can regroup during your busy day. ♥
Join Deb for a studio walk-through below: